The cock of the cathedral is a legend originated in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. Almost all Ecuadorian legends date back to the colonial era and are a very important genre within the country's cultural tradition.
Some of the best known are the story of Father Almeida, that of the Cantuña indigenous person or that of the cathedral rooster.
Popular legends usually have some real basis, which has been deformed over the centuries to give rise to the version that has reached today.
They tend to have a background that teaches the need to maintain certain moral values and shows what happens to those who do not comply.
Protagonists of the legend
The protagonists of this legend are mainly two, who can be joined by another two as secondary characters.
The first is Don Ramón Ayala y Sandoval, a local who enjoyed a very good economic position. Don Ramón had a very marked fondness for the good life.
He was very fond of drinking, guitar, partying and a woman. Although the story has a part that is obviously fantastic, the chroniclers claim that the protagonist was a real character.
On the other hand, his adversary in this story is the famous cathedral rooster. Although he is not a real person, the rooster becomes indispensable for this story.
It is a weather vane that is found at the top of one of the towers of this temple built with a great mix of architectural styles.
The other two characters that can be named are the woman that Don Ramón intended, the chola Mariana.
Finally there were the residents of the city, whom he had fed up with his drunkenness and bravado every night.
Legend Summary
As already mentioned, Don Ramón Ayala y Sandoval was a wealthy man. His fondness for the mistela (drink), the guitar and the chola Mariana made him a well-known character throughout the city. At 40 he was always bragging about his singleness.
His daily routine was always the same. She would get up early, at 6 in the morning, and afterwards she would have a copious breakfast: roast beef, fried eggs, potatoes, chocolate and other foods.
Already around 3 in the afternoon Don Ramón was leaving his house. Invariably he would stop in front of the cathedral, where he would face and shout: "What a cock, what a cock's nonsense!"
After this he used to go to the place where the chola sold liquors. After a while, no one dared to pass by, since after having a few drinks Don Ramón dedicated himself to berating everyone.
Thus, he used to shout at them: “Whoever thinks he is a man, let him stand in front! For me there are no roosters that are worth, not even the one in the cathedral! ”.
One fine day this was going to change. He returned from the premises, with a few more drinks, and around 8 in the afternoon he faced the rooster again.
But, this time, he was horrified to see how it raised his leg and hit him with his spur, wounding him in the leg.
Then, the rooster approached to hit the head with its beak, to which the man asked for mercy.
The weather vane asked him never to drink again, or to insult anyone, and poor Don Ramón agreed.
From that day on the change was complete, becoming a calm and responsible man.
However, some time later some friends congratulated him on his change and had no other idea than to invite him to drink. Don Ramón fell into temptation and ended the night at the chola Mariana's place.
References
- The universe. The legend of the cathedral rooster. Obtained from eluniverso.com
- Gallegos, Diego. The streets of Quito are the scene of curious legends. (December 5, 2016). Obtained from elciudadano.gob.ec
- Vega, Fabian. Legends of Ecuador. Obtained from discoverymundo.com
- The Cathedral of Quito. History of Quito and La Catedral. Retrieved from web.tufts.edu
- Latin Trails. Quito and its routes of urban legends. Retrieved from latintrails.com